Second Chances
by Lilly Deadwalker
Summary: Iris West has had a difficult life. Her sister dead, her mother estranged, and her father in jail, what else does Iris have? Nope, not even her boyfriend. After a fight leads to her expulsion, Iris is given a second chance at Fairy Tail School of Second Chances. What will this lead to? Will she ever tell anyone else what has happened to her? Will she trust anyone again?
1. Chapter 1

**New story everyone! This one is going to get dark, so be aware of that. ****This will be a Fairy Tail x OC story. The final pairing is not decided. It will really depend on how the relationships between characters go, honestly. Let me know if there are any pairings you want to see otherwise. Also, there will not be any magic in this story. **

_**January 1**__**st**__**, 2020.**_

A lone black Yukon with dark tinted windows rolled through the front security gates. It crept slowly over the fresh snow that had fallen the night before. The day was still dark and dreary, but that's what happened in this place in the middle of winter. The new student didn't even know where she was. There were no signs, and she had flown in on a private jet to a small airport about two hours away.

The students at Fairy Tail School of Second Chances were watching to see who had messed up their life so badly that they got selected to go to this school now. Everyone at Fairy Tail School had been removed from their old school for one reason or another. Sometimes it was fights. Others were there because they were in witness protection. It didn't really matter. They'd all had fucked up lives.

The vehicle finally came to a halt in front of the doors to Fairy Hills, the dorms where all students lived. The staff lived in homes scattered across campus. All the windows of Fairy Hills had bars over them.

"Nice. I'm in prison," the girl inside the car muttered. She removed her white headphones and stared out the window at the place that would be her home until she graduated.

"It's less of a prison than you'd think," her driver, who had introduced himself as Gildarts, told her before he got out of his seat. He shut his door and went around to the back of the Yukon and opened it up, setting the girl's things on the sidewalk. He shut the back then finally went to her door and let her out. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Iris."

The students were all holding their breath waiting to see who would step out of the car. They were surprised when they saw a girl with firetruck red hair and a black beanie on leave the car. She was wearing a yellow plaid skirt, despite the cold weather. Given, she had tights on, but they were thin and didn't offer much in terms of warmth. She was wearing a studded leather jacket.

"Another punk goth girl, eh boss?" Bickslow said to Laxus, elbowing his friend slightly.

"Wonder what the fuck she did to end up here," Laxus muttered.

"I heard she almost killed a girl," Evergreen told the group.

"I heard she killed her sister," Mira shrugged. Lisanna frowned at her older sister.

"Mira, it isn't nice to speculate. She'll tell us when she's ready to. Everyone does," Lisanna pointed out.

"You are not wrong, Lisanna," Erza chimed in. She had been quietly observing the situation for a while.

"One way or another, Gramps decided she would fit here," Natsu said. Lucy nodded at his side.

"We have to trust his judgement. After all, those of you that are gossiping don't have much room to talk," Lucy reprimanded. Mira and Evergreen flinched. They really didn't have any room to talk. Not with their stories.

"We'll see. I'm going to try and dig it out of her tonight. She's in the room next to mine," Mira smirked.

"Mira, please don't be too harsh," Elfman murmured, concerned that his sister would get into yet another fight.

"Oh, I'll play nice until she says no," Mira grinned. The group shook their heads. They were skeptical of newbies, but they didn't attack them for not spilling their life stories. That was just asking for a hard time.

"Oh shit, she's looking right at us," Gray shivered. The group of students that was staring at the new girl quickly dispersed, whispering to themselves speculations about what caused her to end up there.

Outside, Iris was still staring blankly at the place the group of students had just been standing inside the building.

"I'm really not going to get on well with people here if they do nothing but stare," Iris thought to herself. She shook her head. It's not like her life could get any worse.

"I'll show up upstairs. You're on the fourth floor with other students close to your age. Your room number is 414," Gildarts told her, taking one of her larger bags and scanning into the building. "You'll get your keycard later today, as well as your room keys. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served at the same time every day, so make sure you make it to those."

Iris said nothing as she followed Gildarts into the elevator and from the elevator to her room.

Initially, she was surprised at how large it was. It wasn't like a typical dorm she was used to. Her old school was a prep school, and she had a roommate. Her dorm was less than a quarter of the size of the room at Fairy Hills.

"I get the whole thing?" Iris blinked.

"Of course. The headmaster believes that students should get space to spread out when they need to. Some students have instruments in their rooms, even full recording setups. Others have gym equipment. Some just leave it open. It's up to you. You decide what you want, and the headmaster will get it for you if it's a reasonable request," Gildarts explained. "Just don't go asking for a bar. That's about the only thing that's been turned down at this point." Iris shook her head. She wasn't surprised. She just wondered who had tried to get a bar installed in their room.

"I'll let you get started putting your things away. I'll be back in an hour to get you and show you around. Hopefully we make it through the campus tour before dinner," Gildarts told her, then he left her room and closed the door behind him.

Iris put her headphones back on. They were wireless, thankfully, so she set her phone on her bed. She was allowed to keep her phone with her, which surprised her. However, her activity was monitored on it. It's not like she had anyone to talk to, though. Not anymore. Her only friend was music. She'd have to write a request for a guitar, piano, and a drum set. She'd also have to figure out who had the recording setup.

It didn't take long for Iris to unpack her clothes into the walk-in closet in her room. She also had a shelf that held her Doc Martins. She had a collection going, but unfortunately that would have to stop until she got out of this place. Which would be two years. She sighed.

She had a queen size bed in her room that she put a set of black sheets on and fitted it with a plain black comforter. She had band posters that she put up on the wall behind her bed, but realized she still had a lot of space. Finally, she set her sights on the bag she dreaded opening. Her picture bag. She decided to tackle it on a different day and shoved the bag under her bed.

The room also had a large desk and a TV build into the wall. She supposed that students had broken many TVs in the past, so they put it behind a plexiglass shield. She wasn't typically the raging type. Just when people used her past against her. Or used people against her. Or just did something to her in general.

"Guess I am a fuck up, aren't I," Iris sighed as she flopped down on her bed. "That's what you always told me, right Mom? Dad?"

Iris heard a knock from her door and got off her bed and opened the door. Gildarts was there.

"You ready for the grand tour?" he asked. Iris stared at him blankly.

"Whatever," Iris told him before she walked out of her room. Gildarts shut her door and he rushed to catch up to her.

"You're a peculiar one. Most students are very combative when they get here," Gildarts stated matter-of-factly.

"Why fight it when there's nothing I can do about it? There's no point in fighting anymore. Everything's gone," Iris said monotonously. Gildarts furrowed his brows. She'd be one of those. He had read her file, as had all the other staff on campus. They all thought she'd needed a break, which is why they voted her in over other students they could have taken in.

"To begin with, we'll head to the main building where the staff offices are, as well as the nurse's office. I'd suggest you never need to go there. Madame Porlyusica can be a bit… You'll see eventually. We can get your key card and room keys there," Gildarts said, leading her outside. The main building was easy to tell apart from the other buildings on campus. Truthfully, all the buildings were unique. The science building was shaped like an Erlenmeyer Flask. That made Iris double take.

"Are all the buildings oddly shaped?" she found herself asking.

"Yep. The founder was… Interesting. She wanted the subjects to be in buildings that reflected their purpose. It makes it easy to get around, though. The more normal buildings are Main, Fairy Hills, and the dining hall. The houses are staff housing, so those are also fairly normal," Gildarts explained. Iris frowned but didn't speak.

"Anyway, this place was founded over a hundred years ago for kids that needed a place to go. This isn't like your typical school, though. In a way, it's like a private boarding school. The staff selects those that get in here. Everyone else was selected to go here. The staff sees something in all of you that others might not see in you. And here we are, Main," Gildarts said, looking up at the big building in front of the two. It was a large stone building that had a bell on top of it.

"Does the bell ring?" Iris asked, tilting her head to the side, studying the bell.

"Not anymore. We had a few students that had trauma and had a hard time with the bell sound. Now it's just decorative," Gildarts explained. Iris nodded silently, then looked towards the front doors. Gildarts followed her gaze and opened one of the large red doors for her.

Iris entered the building and found it was much less cold and oppressing than she had expected. There was a large fireplace on one wall with green couches and wooden tables. The floors were a dark hardwood. Off to the other side were several doors that were different offices. Then, there was a large staircase that led upstairs. The sign indicated it was where counselling, meditation, and the headmaster's office were located. She narrowed her eyes again but didn't say anything.

"So, this is Main. You've already looked at the common space. There are a variety of students that come in here just to sit by the fireplace. On the left are offices. The first door leads to the nurse's office. All the other doors are the teaching staff. Other staff have offices upstairs, but they don't use them. Upstairs is the headmaster's office, as well as the counselling and meditations suites. Most of our students use those services to deal with their demons," Gildarts said, pointing in the directions he was mentioning as he said them.

"Now, your key card and room keys are upstairs. Your schedule isn't finalized yet, but that doesn't really matter. We have a break right now until Monday. There are no required classes on the weekends, but there are specialized classes that are offered only on the weekend," Gildarts said as he led Iris upstairs. This piqued Iris's interest.

"What kinds of specialized classes?" she asked, tone still level and emotionless.

"Well, we have several music classes that are only on the weekends. Recording classes, as well as instrument classes are on the weekends. We have a small band class that meets on weekdays as well. Other ones are different art classes and sports classes," Gildarts said. Iris nodded.

"Now, this is the headmaster's office. You'll have a meeting with him once a week for the first few months while you get settled in here," Gildarts told her, then knocked on the door.

"Come in," Iris heard through the door. The voice sounded like that of an old man's. Upon entering, she saw she was correct.

"Ah, Miss West. It's nice to have you with us finally. I hope that you've had enough time to start setting up your room?" the headmaster said. He was much shorter than Iris expected, but she didn't say anything of it. Instead, she chose to nod.

"No need to be shy, dear. Now, is there anything you'd like me to order in for your room?" the headmaster tried asking. Iris nodded, finally speaking.

"A guitar. Maybe also a piano and a drum set," she replied. The headmaster nodded.

"I'll make a note of that for you. If there is ever anything else you would like, please feel free to stop by and ask. Now, as for your keys and access card, here they are," he said, handing Iris an envelope. "There is also a mockup of your schedule, but we can adjust as needed. You have several free elective spaces to be filled, so let me know which ones you would like. The list is also in the envelope."

"Thanks, Gramps," Gildarts said for her. "We've got to get moving, now, or else we will miss food."

"Ah, yes, wouldn't want to miss that. It's meatloaf night, after all," the headmaster chuckled. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your tour, Iris. Welcome to Fairy Tail." With that, Gildarts and Iris left the room. As they were going down the stairs, she saw a small, blue haired girl on one of the green couches near the fireplace. She seemed very young, and very innocent to be at this kind of school.

"What's her name?" Iris asked quietly, hoping the girl couldn't hear her.

"That's Wendy Marvell. She's also very new here. She arrived about two months ago. She's 12, and very kind, but she's a bit skittish around new people. If you want, we can go over and say hello?" Gildarts asked. She shook her head.

"Not yet. She doesn't seem like she wants to talk to anyone right now," Iris replied. She saw the girl's body language and knew she wanted to be left alone. Gildarts smiled and nodded. This was good. He was impressed thus far on her empathy. Most students that arrive here from her circumstances didn't have empathy or social skills.

"Next we have…"

They finished their tour at the dining hall. Gildarts had been gushing about the meatloaf the whole rest of the tour, and Iris had to see if it really was as good as he was making it out to be.

"Now, everyone gets to sit at whatever table they want. But I've set up a spot for you at a table with Wendy, Levy, and Lucy. They are quite easy to get along with, and won't pry. Some of the other ones will try and get your story out of you, so be warned. Mirajane is one of those who will try and get your story from you. You don't have to tell anyone anything that you don't want to. Now, I'll let you off on your own. You can go up and grab as much as you want. Wendy is already at the table I've set you up at. If you have any questions, just come see me at my office," Gildarts said as he pointed over to the table she would be at.

"Thank you," Iris said, still monotoned. Gildarts was glad for the thanks, though. Iris went through the line to get her meatloaf. She also got mashed potatoes and mango slices, as well as a glass of water. Then, she made her way over to her table.

"Um. Hi," she said awkwardly. One of the girls that was there smiled brightly at her.

"Hi there! You must be Iris. Gildarts said you'd be sitting here today. Please, sit down! I'm Levy," she blue haired girl said.

"I'm Lucy," the blonde introduced herself.

"I'm Wendy," the younger bluenette introduced quietly. Iris could see she was tense. Poor girl. She couldn't imagine what might have happened to her.

"It's… Nice to meet you," Iris said cautiously as she sat down next to Levy.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Iris!" Levy and Lucy said in unison. Iris blinked at that; a little bit creeped out.

"So, you just arrived today?" Lucy asked, even though she knew that to be the case. Iris nodded.

"I flew in from New York. I went to Edgarton Prep before this. A bit of a change," Iris said. Levy's eyes widened.

"Edgarton? Really? I've only read about that place. What was it like, actually? The stories make it seem great," Levy asked excitedly.

"It was the prep school from hell. Everyone had their clique. You wouldn't imagine the kinds of things students got into. Main thing is, they don't get caught," Iris explained.

"What kinds of things, if I may ask?" Lucy asked.

"Drug rings. Kidnappings. Massive parties. Yacht stealing. Car stealing. A real mess of things, really," Iris shrugged. The three other girls blinked.

"No way," Levy breathed. "Yacht stealing? Why would someone steal a yacht?"

"That was a funny one. This guy wanted a yacht for his 16th birthday, but his parents got him a McLaren instead. He was pissed, so he stole a yacht. The epitome of the spoilt rich kid," Iris said. Levy was shaking her head while Lucy was nodding.

"I'm a Heartfilia, so I know who you are talking about," Lucy said. Iris's eyes widened. The girls at the table were excited because it was the first show of reaction or emotion she had shown.

"Well no shit. I'm sorry you had to deal with that idiot as a blood relative," Iris deadpanned. The guy in question was Lucy's cousin, Jeremy Heartfilia. Lucy shrugged.

"It's not like I'll see him for a while anyway. I think it's kind of funny we both knew who that was, though," Lucy smiled. Iris nodded in return. Wendy hadn't spoken since she introduced herself, but Iris wasn't going to try and force her to talk. So, she turned her attention to Lucy. Everyone knew what had happened to the Heartfilia heir, and why she was there. Levy, though, she didn't know. Again, she didn't want to pry.

"Hey, Shrimp. You about done with newbie here?" Iris heard a gruff voice say from behind her. She didn't turn around to see who it was, deciding instead to focus on her food. The meatloaf was indeed as good as what Gildarts said.

"Gajeel, be nice. I've forgotten to let her eat," Levy sighed. "I'm sorry, Iris."

"It's alright. You are curious," Iris said after she finished her bite. She saw that the one who had spoken was now sitting down at the end of her table.

"Name's Gajeel Redfox, newbie. If Shrimp here likes you, I suppose I'll tolerate you. If anyone bugs ya, let me know," the guy introduced himself.

"Iris West. And thank you," she replied, nodding to him. He stared at her intently, and Iris was getting a bit uncomfortable.

"Where'd you get the scars, Bee?" he asked her cautiously. Iris froze. She had taken her jacket off and forgotten she wasn't wearing a long sleeve shirt. "You don't have to answer, Bee. Was just curious. You aren't the only one with scars around here, just so you know."

"Thanks," she mumbled. "And Bee?" Gajeel shrugged.

"Everyone gets a nickname. Levy is Shrimp, Lucy is Bunny Girl. Wendy is Tiny Dragon for now. You haven't met everyone else yet, but when you do, I'll tell ya my nicknames for them," Gajeel explained. Iris gave him a look.

"Bunny Girl? Poor Lucy," she said, shaking her head. Gajeel just laughed.

"I like you, Bee. Shrimp, you picked another good one out," Gajeel told Levy. Levy blushed.

"Oh, hush. I'm just trying to be nice," Levy mumbled.

"Which floor are you on, Iris?" Lucy asked.

"Fourth. Room 414," Iris recited. Lucy frowned.

"You are right next to Mirajane. Be careful," Lucy warned. "She's not nice. To anyone. Except her siblings, really."

"I'll keep that in mind," Iris said, her own form of thanking Lucy.

"I'm across the hall in 413," Levy said. "You can stop over if you want to tonight, or any time really."

"Thanks, Levy. I might. I kinda don't have anything to do. I didn't bring much here. Given, I didn't have much time to gather my things," Iris trailed off. Levy put a hand gently on her shoulder.

"We understand. Come on over. If you want a book, I can loan you one. I have hundreds to choose from," Levy said gently, smiling at her. Iris finally allowed a small smile to grace her face. This made Levy smile very wide, as well as Lucy. Gajeel had a smirk on his face, but she figured that was all he was capable of doing. Wendy was still looking her over cautiously but had changed her posture to be a bit more open.

"Do you want to head up now? We are all done with dinner anyway, and we were going to drop Wendy off at her room," Lucy asked. Iris nodded. The group left the dining hall and walked the short distance to Fairy Hills. Wendy was on the second floor in room 202. After she was safely in her room, the group went up to Levy's room.

Iris was astounded by the sheer number of books Levy had in her room.

"You really weren't kidding, were you?" Iris asked in disbelief. "I don't think I've ever seen this many books before not in a school library."

"I have more books than the library does," Levy said proudly. Lucy and Gajeel laughed at her statement.

The group sat down on couches that Levy also had in her room.

"So, I figure you might be curious as to why we are here. Well, you already know why Lucy is here, broadly at least. All three of us are pretty comfortable sharing our stories, at least the basics of them, with everyone," Levy started. "So, I figured that I could start and share what I thought you might want to know about me. You don't have to share anything at all. I just want you to get to know me better."

Iris nodded, and Levy saw this as her cue to start.

"Gajeel and I were good friends and we went to the same middle school and high school. They were connected so we saw each other every day. One day, police showed up to the school, and I knew something was wrong. I rushed over to where they were and saw them taking Gajeel away, so I did the only thing I could think of. I hacked into the school's system, and from there hacked into the police servers to figure out where they were taking him. We were both expelled after that," Levy finished.

"As for my part of that story, I beat the shit out of a kid that bad mouthed my father. My old man died when I was a kid, watched it happen. Never got over it. Everyone knew better than to bring it up except that dumb fuck," Gajeel put plainly. Iris nodded, knowing what the feeling was like. She felt the same about her sister.

"I guess I can add some more details in since you probably know a lot about what happened to me," Lucy started. "My father was planning on auctioning me off to the highest bidder in order to keep the family business afloat. I wanted nothing to do with it. My mother died when I was very young, and after that, my father was never the same. He started doing risky things with the business and we lost a lot of money. He saw selling me as the only way out. Thankfully, I was taken out of that situation, and I was placed here for my safety.

"I'm one a few students here that are here for protection from the outside. Wendy is one of those. I know you were trying to be careful around her and thank you for that. She's been through a lot, and she's so young. She hasn't told us everything that happened, but she gave us the bare bones details, and we are really protective of her. She's opening up to you, though, even if you can't tell," Lucy finished.

"I saw her at Main earlier today," Iris found herself saying. "She looked haunted by something, so I can understand."

"Anyway, we don't expect you to tell us why you are here. But, if you ever want to talk about something, you can come find us! Lucy doesn't ever break a promise, and I won't either. Gajeel looks mean but he's a big teddy bear when you get to know him," Levy smiled. Gajeel grumbled at being called a teddy bear but didn't outright refute it.

"Thank you. Again. Really. I don't think I can yet, but someday. I can't really… Talk about it? I guess? Brings back bad memories," Iris sighed.

"We've all got our demons, Bee. You don't have to fight 'em alone, but we won't force it out of ya," Gajeel told her.

"Now, who wants to watch a movie?" Levy asked. They'd been talking for a while now, and it was nearly 9.

"I might actually head to bed. I've had a long day with my flight," Iris said apologetically. This group was much nicer than she expected. They treated her as one of them with no expectations of her. Yet, at least.

"Aw, alright! If you need anything during the night just knock!" Levy smiled.

"Night, Bee." "Goodnight, Iris!"

With that, Iris left Levy's room, but saw someone standing outside her door. She had long, white hair, and her back was to Iris.

"Where the fuck could she be?" the white-haired girl muttered.

"Behind you," Iris said plainly. The white-haired girl whipped around.

"You! I've been out here for almost an hour, you know? It's incredibly rude," the white-haired girl ranted, pointing a finger at her. Iris pushed the girl's finger down.

"I am under no obligation to do anything for you, especially when you are knocking on my door and I am not there," Iris replied plainly.

"You don't know who I am, do you? Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. I am Mirajane Stauss, and I always get what I want," the girl, Mirajane said, a smirk on her face.

"You sound like my old classmates," Iris sighed. Mirajane smiled wickedly.

"How so? And do continue about the past. You will tell me," Mirajane said confidently.

"You're a spoilt brat. And no, I won't continue. Now, I'd like to go to bed. Please remove yourself form in front of my door," Iris said. Mirajane's expression turned into a nasty snarl.

"What was that, you bitch?" Mirajane said before she moved to attack her. Iris stepped out of the way, and Mirajane ended up on the floor. "Wha?"

"You asked, I answered. Do not ask questions you don't want answers to, Mirajane," Iris stated, picking at her nails. Now that Mirajane was out of her way, she went to unlock her door so she could go to bed.

"Oh no you don't, Missy," Mirajane muttered, getting up and going after her again. Iris sighed and dodged again.

"Who taught you to fight? Obviously they didn't know what they were doing," Iris taunted.

"And then there's you, who only steps out of the way. Show me how you beat that girl within an inch of her life, Iris West," Mirajane said smirking, her eyes wild. Iris narrowed her eyes at Mirajane.

"Who said I ever hurt anyone?" Iris asked, curious as to what had gotten out.

"Oh, I sneak into the offices. It isn't that hard. I got caught after reading you top page," Mirajane continued. Iris's look turned into a death glare. She stepped back into her fighting stance.

"You know nothing about me," Iris growled.

"Oh, but honey, I do," Mirajane said sweetly before lashing out at Iris again. Iris caught Mirajane's hand, shocking her, but then punched her in the face.

"Do not assume you know me, bitch. God, I thought everyone was lying about how horrible you were," Iris sighed. Mirajane was curled up on the floor holding her now broken nose, screaming. Iris was standing over her with a dark look in her eyes. Levy's door opened and the three friends that were inside were shocked to see that it was Mirajane on the ground.

"Oh God, Iris are you okay? Oh, I should have checked to see if Mira was out here," Levy asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. She isn't though. Her nose made a nice crunching sound," Iris told her. More people entered the hallway, all people she hadn't met yet. Whispers started flooding through them.

"She beat Mira, and there's not a mark on her," was one of the many whispers she heard.

"How did I know this would happen," a familiar voice said from over the whispers. Gildarts was there.

"Mirajane, why are you instigating again? Your siblings are on their way up here to bring you to see Madame Porlyusica. Iris, if you would follow me, please," Gildarts motioned. Iris followed wordlessly, not even looking back. He led her to Main, then up to the headmaster's office.

"Ah, Iris, I wasn't expecting to see you again this soon," the headmaster sighed. Iris sat down across from him at his desk. Gildarts left the room.

"I'm sorry we didn't step in and remove Mirajane from your door. We didn't notice she was there until it was too late. We have cameras in the hallways because of situations like this," the headmaster said. Iris furrowed her brows.

"Why are you apologizing? I was the one who broke her nose," Iris asked, her eyes narrowed on the man.

"Mirajane was the first. You were acting in self-defense. We also weren't aware that Mirajane had also gotten into your file, so that was another failure on our part. We're adding more security measures to enter offices when they are not occupied. You've come here because you gravely injured someone, but you, child, are also a victim of your circumstances. You've been dealt a terrible hand in life, and you've been fighting your whole life against people you should be able to trust," the headmaster said.

"Why?" Iris demanded. She didn't know why she wasn't getting in trouble.

"You deserve a second chance. Just like everyone else at this school. That is why we exist. The founder of this school believed that every person deserves a second chance. My father was a student here. I was a student here. My son was a student here. Now my grandson is a student here. Everyone, regardless of their history, or what anyone thinks about them, deserves another chance at life, free of judgement. I've decided to add in a martial arts class to your schedule, as well as counselling and meditation. I hope you at least try with these," the headmaster finished.

"By the way, I never said my name. I am Headmaster Makarov Dreyar," the headmaster added. Iris was trembling.

"Why do you care? Why care about someone like me?" Iris asked, and her emotionless mask cracked along with her voice. The headmaster's eyes softened.

"You have been fighting your whole life just to stay alive. You deserve to be loved, child. Everyone does. Everyone deserves to have someone to love them and care about them. Get some sleep, child. Your friends are downstairs to walk you back, I believe," the headmaster told her. Iris stood abruptly from her seat and left the room. Sure enough, waiting for her near the fireplace was her group of… Friends.

"Oh, Iris, I'm so sorry this happened," Levy said, hugging the red head. Iris tensed, not used to physical contact.

"Levy let go of her. She's uncomfortable," Gajeel told the bluenette. Levy immediately let her go.

"Oh no, I'm sorry, I just-" Levy started.

"It's okay. I'm just… Not used to good contact from people," Iris cut her off. Lucy and Levy smiled sadly at her. Gajeel put a hand on her head.

"I feel ya, Bee. Remember, you've got us now. We're in your court, no matter what," Gajeel said, grinning to her. Iris smiled slightly.

"Thanks guys," she mumbled.

"Let's get back. It's supposed to start snowing again soon," Lucy suggested. The group went back to Fairy Hills, and Iris got into her room safely this time. She sat down on her bed, and decided to pull out her picture bag.

She only took out one picture, and she held it to her chest.

"I don't know what's happening, Az, but I think it might be something good for once," Iris whispered, tears coming to her eyes. She held the picture above her head and took in the image. It was the last picture she had of her sister, Azalea.

"They say I deserve to have someone care about me. I don't believe them, but it makes me feel something that I don't understand. I can't name it. Maybe I'll be able to tell you what it is eventually," Iris said, then turning over and setting the picture down on one of her bedside tables before getting ready for bed. When she finally crawled into bed, she spoke one more time.

"Maybe they can convince me my life is worth something, Az. That scares me."

**First chapter done! Happy New Year, everyone! This story is kind of an emotional outlet for me in dealing with my depression. This chapter isn't anything compared to what is coming in terms of emotional weight, so buckle up. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Next chapter! I don't own any songs mentioned in the chapters. **

_**January 2**__**nd**__**, 2020**_

Iris found herself staring at her ceiling not wanting to get out of bed. She hadn't slept well the night before. She remembered her sister, and what had killed her.

"Iris, are you awake? We are going to get breakfast now," Levy called from the other side of her door. Iris didn't want to move. She didn't feel like she could. She felt heavy.

"Get up, Bee. You gotta eat," Gajeel said, pounding on her door. Iris sighed, but finally got out of bed.

"I'm up. Give me a few minutes," Iris yawned. She quickly tossed her hair up in a bun and brushed her teeth, then pulled on black, high waisted cargo pants and a long sleeves black cropped turtleneck. Her pants had a large wallet chain on them, and she put on a chain necklace to match it.

"God, what time is it even," Iris moaned as she left her room. She had grabbed her keys and put them in one of her pockets, which was good. She wouldn't have been able to get back into her room otherwise.

"It's almost 9," Levy answered, a smile on her face.

"Are you ever not energetic?" Iris sighed. Levy shrugged.

"Not really. I like mornings. I'm not a night person," Levy said. Iris shook her head.

"I don't understand morning people. Mornings are demons," Iris groaned. Gajeel nodded his head in agreement.

"You've never seen a sunrise, then! It's wonderful to wake up with the sun and just sit and watch it come over the horizon in the morning," Levy argued. Iris tensed. Levy didn't seem to notice since she was walking in front of the group, but Gajeel did. Levy continued on her rant while Gajeel checked on Iris.

"You alright, Bee?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," Iris responded, her emotionless mask coming back. Gajeel narrowed his eyes.

"Fine, whatever you say, Bee. I know better. Tell me when you're ready," he told her, then the two continued in silence to the dining hall.

"Looks like we have waffles this morning," Levy said excitedly.

"Great," Iris muttered. She scanned around the dining hall, seeing who all was there. There were still a ton of people she didn't recognize yet. She did, however, find Mirajane glaring at her with a very swollen face. Iris stared blankly back at her for a moment before turning her gaze elsewhere.

"Come on. I can introduce you to some more people today. Lucy is sitting with some of her other friends today, and we can go sit there, too," Levy told Iris as she grabbed the redhead's arm and led her through the breakfast line. Iris kept her blank face up the whole time.

Eventually, they had grabbed their food and Levy led Iris to the table the would be sitting at that day.

"Hi guys. This is Iris, she's the new student. Iris, this is Natsu, Gray, and Erza. Natsu has the pink hair, Gray has the dark blue hair, and Erza is the redhead," Levy introduced.

"Hi," Iris said monotonously.

"Levy. My hair is salmon. Salmon. Not pink. And hi Iris," Natsu waved with a smile. His eyes didn't seem happy, though. She could see something was haunting him. But she saw that look in everyone's eyes here.

"It is nice to meet you, Iris. Lucy has told us of your victory over Mirajane. I applaud you," Erza told her. Her voice was very tight, and formal. It also sounded raspy, as though she hadn't spoken in a while or had just been to a metal concert. Iris nodded to her to acknowledge her statement. Erza nodded in return.

"Not many stand up to Mira when she's being a bitch, especially at first," Gray told her, watching her with a calculating gaze. He didn't know what to make of her. She was emotionless looking, and that made him anxious. He wanted to know why, but he knew better than to ask. With that, though, Levy and Iris sat down. Gajeel wasn't sitting with them today, instead choosing to keep an eye on Wendy and Romeo.

"Have you met anyone else?" Natsu asked her. Iris shook her head.

"Not really. I've heard a few names, but they don't mean anything right now since I can't connect the name to a face," Iris stated.

"Well, I'll go around the room and give you a rundown, then," Natsu said, smiling.

"Next to us is one of the groups you might want to avoid if you can. Laxus Dreyar is their leader. He's a senior this year. He's also the headmaster's grandson. Freed Justine is kind of his right-hand-man. He's 16. Evergreen is the only girl of the group. She's a bit of a bitch, but not as forward as Mira. She's also 16. Finally, there's Bickslow. He's also 16. He's kind of a pervert, but he's easy to get along with.

"On the other side of them is a group of loners. Jet and Droy. They don't really talk to other people that much, but they have a weird hero worship of Levy," Natsu said, and Levy shivered. The two males wouldn't leave her alone.

"We were good friends when we were younger, but when I met Gajeel… Things kind of went in a downward spiral," Levy sighed. "Now they hover. Excessively. I can't believe they got in here as well. They haven't bothered me as much recently, though. Thankfully."

"Anyway, Cana Alberona is sitting at the table with Romeo, Wendy, and Gajeel. She's 15. She's also Gildarts's daughter. She's a lot of fun, actually," Natsu continued.

"Then on the other side is the Stauss siblings. You ran into Mira last night," Gray said. "Her siblings aren't that bad. Lisanna is really sweet and Elfman has his quirks, but he's a nice guy."

"Finally, Loke is the ginger that is walking around trying to hit on girls. He has no shame. Don't be afraid to put him in his place," Lucy grumbled. She'd had issues with him, as had almost every female at the school.

"There's several more teachers that you have not yet met. I shall introduce them to you when classes begin, Iris," Erza said. Iris looked over to her fellow redhead. She saw Erza kept her expression guarded, much like herself. She did, however, notice a scar around her right eye. She wouldn't ask about it.

"Thank you," Iris replied to the group.

"No problem! I'm sure you'll end up in classes with almost everyone," Levy said. Iris felt her eyebrow twitch.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I'll have classes with the stripper all semester," Natsu groaned. Gray was visibly irritated.

"What was that, pyromaniac?" Gray growled.

"Boys. Enough," Erza said, glaring at the two, hoping to stop their conflict before it escalated to the point of a full fight.

"Yes, Ma'am," the two said in unison, both of them paling. Erza nodded, satisfied with their answer.

"Are they always like that?" Iris asked. Lucy sighed, and nodded.

"Unfortunately. You get used to it eventually, though," Lucy said. Iris didn't know what to make of the two. They were obviously rivals, but they were also friends.

"Hey, kiddos!" a familiar voice called out. Iris and her table looked up to see Gildarts walking over to them.

"Iris, Headmaster just told me your instruments have arrived and have been delivered to your room," Gildarts told her, smiling. Iris nodded.

"Thank you. I'm surprised they arrived so quickly," Iris remarked. She let just a bit of emotion into her voice without meaning to, and Gildarts saw this as a win.

"You're very welcome. Now, Natsu, Gray, are you two staying out of trouble? I don't want both of you to end up in casts again," Gildarts asked, eyeing the boys. It was Erza, though, that ended up responding.

"Natsu and Gray are getting along very well. They will no longer fight, at least in my presence. Thus, I have decided that I will take the same schedule as them to prevent them from fighting in the future," Erza stated.

"Thank you, Erza, but I don't think that will be necessary. They need to learn how to get along on their own, for everyone's sake," Gildarts said, nodding to her.

"Anyway, I suppose I'll head off now. If any of you need me, you know where to find me," Gildarts said, turning away and waving to them.

"Gildarts is the best," Natsu grinned. "And you got instruments? What kind?"

"A guitar, a piano, and a drum set," Iris replied. Everyone at the table blinked.

"You play all three instruments?" Gray asked her in amazement. Iris nodded.

"I must hear you play, Iris," Erza exclaimed. Iris sighed.

"I guess I can play for you guys. You wouldn't leave me alone if I didn't, would you?" Iris asked, eyeing the group. They all nodded. Iris sighed again.

"Fine. I will. Anyway, if you want to hear me, follow," Iris said, standing from the table to put her dishes on the dish return. Everyone was stunned for a moment before quickly following after. Iris stopped by the table with Cana, Romeo, Wendy, and Gajeel.

"If you want to come to my room, the merry band of idiots is also coming. My instruments are here," Iris said, looking around the table. Gajeel grinned.

"Course, Bee. Tiny Dragon, let's go," Gajeel said, standing up and motioning for Wendy to follow. Wendy looked at her cautiously but stood up.

"Can I go too?" the younger boy, Romeo, asked. Iris sighed but nodded.

"If you want to. You're one of Wendy's friends, so I suppose I have to," Iris said. Romeo looked at her curiously. He had no idea what to make of her. And she referenced Natsu, Gray, and Erza as the merry band of idiots. They were out of earshot, so they didn't hear, but several others in the room did.

"I'll be following you too, girlie," the girl, Cana said, smirking. Iris nodded.

"I guess it's a party in my room," Iris sighed. She started walking back to Fairy Hills, and the large group of students followed her. The rest of the ones in the dining hall watched as the group left.

"Interesting how quickly they've all taken to her," Evergreen noted. Her friends nodded.

"And she plays," Bickslow said, grinning. "Wonder what she plays."

"Probably punk. She looks like it at least," Laxus sighed. He didn't think she'd be any good. Lots of people had pianos and guitars in their rooms, but most didn't know how to use them that well.

"I'll gather some information after. Who knows? Someone might film the whole thing for us," Freed said.

"It's highly likely. Cana probably will," Evergreen said, smirking. "Then we will have something to go after her about."

"What if she's good, though?" Bickslow asked.

"Then we try and get on her good side. She'll be a tricky one. Even though she's being social, she's completely blocked off from them all emotionally," Laxus told them.

"Really?" Freed asked. Laxus nodded.

"She has no emotion on her face, in her eyes, or in her voice. Something bad happened to her, that's for sure," Laxus frowned.

"Do you think the rumors might be true, then?" Evergreen asked. Laxus shrugged.

"Which one? There's too many to tell, honestly," Laxus sighed.

"I will attempt to get more information," Freed said, making up his mind.

"I want to know more about how she took our Mirajane," Bickslow said, smirking.

"I saw it. New girl looks like she's a fighter. She countered Mirajane flawlessly. She only had to punch Mira once to get her down for the count, and she went for the nose, too. She's not even tender in her hands today," Evergreen recalled. This made Laxus's eyes widen.

"Really? Street fighter?" he asked. Evergreen nodded.

"Has to be. I'd be interested to see her fight with Gray or Natsu. She'd probably beat them, too," Evergreen grinned.

"I'd pay to see that. I also want to see what's on her arms, too. She only wears long sleeves," Bickslow pointed out.

"It's winter, Bix. Besides, I do the same and you know why. Don't be invasive," Evergreen scolded. Bickslow frowned.

"Ah, I see what you are getting at," Bickslow muttered. Freed and Laxus stayed silent as well, knowing full well what their friend was battling.

"We'll get her. Then, we'll protect her," Evergreen said, eyes blazing. Laxus rolled his eyes.

"She won't let us. Not for a long time, at least. I like her spunk, though, calling those three the merry band of idiots," Laxus smirked.

Back at Iris's now semi-crowded room, Iris sat down at her new piano. She was expecting a regular, wall stand-up piano, but no. This was a grand piano, in white. The seat it came with had a white base with a red velvet cushion. When she sat down, she tested the keys and found the piano to be perfectly tuned, and away she went.

The room was stunned into silence as they heard her start to play. Cana took out her phone and started a video of her playing. Iris stopped a few minutes later, at the end of the song.

"What was that?" Wendy asked timidly.

"That one was called The Name of Life. It's from one of my favorite movies," Iris said softly, not turning from her spot at the piano.

"Spirited Away," Levy said, nodding. She would have recognized the track anywhere.

"When did you learn to play?" Lucy asked her.

"I've been playing my whole life. It was the only thing my parents ever approved of me doing, honestly," Iris explained. "I played in competitions across the northeast. I won almost every competition. I quit after my sister died."

"How long ago?" Wendy asked quietly.

"Two years ago, yesterday," Iris admitted. "Anyway, any requests? I can't promise I know everything, but I can play it if I do."

"Do you sing by any chance?" Erza asked. Iris nodded. "Would you play Hallelujah for me?"

"Sure," Iris said softly, then started the song. Cana ended up recording her again, and yet again, everyone was amazed. They hadn't expected Iris to be able to do all this. Iris finished the song and put her hands down in her lap and stayed quiet for a while. It was Gajeel that motioned that everyone should probably leave her alone for a while. Wendy was the only one who didn't want to go. Instead, she went over and hugged Iris. Gajeel sighed and left the room.

"You remind me of my sister," Iris mumbled. She scooted over on the bench, and Wendy crawled up next to her.

"Can you teach me?" Wendy asked her, referencing the piano. Iris smiled to the girl and nodded.

"Of course."

The group that was in Iris's room went over to Levy's room to discuss their thoughts.

"Wendy seems to like her," Erza said.

"She does. It took Wendy forever to warm up to us," Natsu sighed.

"Wendy was warming up to her last night even. Bee hasn't even been here for 24 hours yet and she's got all of us attached," Gajeel sighed. Levy giggled at his side.

"It's good for her. You've seen how guarded she is. The fact that she's opened up that much is good. She's starting to trust us," Levy smiled.

"I wouldn't be so sure. She might just be baiting everyone into thinking she is trusting us, and then turn on us," Gray muttered skeptically. Lucy elbowed him.

"Be nice. Not everyone is like you, Gray," Lucy jibed. Gray rolled his eyes.

"I had issues as a kid, okay? I'm just saying, she acts like how I did," Gray defended.

"She doesn't, though. Yeah, she got into something with Mira, but it was purely defense," Levy argued.

"I'm not saying that. I'm talking about hey eyes. Her face. Her general lack of emotion under most circumstances," Gray said.

"I think she just doesn't want to get too close to people, guys," Cana chimed in. The group looked over to her, and she sighed.

"Look. She hasn't even been here a day. She's already told us her sister is dead. That's a huge amount of information that she gave us. There's no reason for her to tell us anything, especially since she's been here for less than a day. Stop expecting so much. Let her know that we will be on her side. We all know Laxus's group will be after her once they realize she's a music talent, but we can't do anything about it if she doesn't trust us," Cana explained. The group sighed, knowing she was right.

"You really think Laxus will be after her?" Lucy asked, concerned. Cana nodded.

"We all know how he is. You heard him yesterday. He's interested in her. I think his whole group is. Her being musically talented makes her even more appealing. We just need to watch over her. She doesn't know why everyone avoids him," Cana argued. "That's not saying he will for sure hurt her in the process but look what happened the last several times he's gotten a new girl. They've all left. I don't think she can afford that."

"I agree with the drunk," Gajeel sighed. "We'll watch her. For now. It'll probably be a few weeks until that group makes their move, at least. Hopefully she trusts us more by then."

Several hours later, Iris and Wendy went to the dining hall together. Wendy was catching on fast to piano, but she attributed it to Iris's good teaching skills and patience. Iris had found herself being genuinely happy for the first time in a very long time. Wendy reminded her so much of her little sister, Azalea. As for Wendy, something about Iris made her feel safe.

"Hey, guys," Iris said plainly as she got to the table the group that had heard her play was sitting at. They'd pushed a few tables together to allow for all the extra people to sit there.

"Iris! Wendy!" Lucy said, smiling at the two.

"Hi," Wendy said as she sat down between Iris and Gajeel. That was her safe spot.

"You didn't follow us when we left. Sorry about that, Iris. We thought you needed to be alone," Levy said. Iris nodded.

"Thank you," Iris told everyone.

"Iris started teaching me to play the piano," Wendy smiled. She looked a little brighter than most days.

"Oh? What do you think about it, Tiny Dragon?" Gajeel asked her.

"It's a lot of fun! And Iris is a really good teacher," Wendy told him, smiling even more. Iris looked away with a slight blush on her face.

"I'm not, though. You just pick it up fast," Iris mumbled. The table laughed.

"Whatever you say, Bee. Whatever you say," Gajeel teased.

"Stop teasing the poor girl," Levy said, smacking him lightly on the arm. Gajeel held up his hands in surrender.

"Fine, fine," he said.

The rest of lunch was full of banter and teasing, but no one in the group minded. The rest of the students at Fairy Tail School were kind of amazed at how quickly the new girl had gotten along with the group. Some, like Laxus's group, were even more intrigued, especially since Cana posted the video of Iris playing piano and singing.

"Think she's taking any of the music classes this semester?" Evergreen asked her friends. Freed nodded.

"I'm sure of it. I haven't heard her officially request any of the classes yet. She was put into the mixed martial arts class after yesterday's events," Freed reported.

"I wish I'd seen the fight," Bickslow groaned. Evergreen rolled her eyes.

"Well, she's in the same elective as you and Laxus now, so she'll probably get a chance to whoop both your asses," Evergreen smirked.

"You really think newbie could beat us?" Laxus asked skeptically. Evergreen nodded.

"I think so. She seems like she really knows what she's doing. But don't get on her bad side. We need her," Evergreen nodded.

"You mean you need her because you are tired of being the only girl in the group," Bickslow corrected.

"Oh, come on, you all know that you like the way she looks. You'd be all over her if she joined," Evergreen shrugged.

"I highly doubt the idiots would let her drift over our way," Laxus sighed.

"Well, boss, that's because of your shitty history with girls at this school. Look what happened to-" Bickslow started, but saw Laxus's glare.

"We do not talk about the exes, remember?" Laxus growled. Bickslow put his hands up in surrender.

"Fine, fine. But that's what everyone remembered, boss. They will keep her away from us as best as they can," Bickslow argued.

"Bickslow is right. She won't be allowed near us. I bet they'll be telling her what happened in a few days," Freed sighed.

"Whatever. We'll see if she listens. Regardless, she'll be in at least one class with two of us. We'll work on her," Laxus grumbled. "And there's two sides to that story. Everyone only wanted to hear one."

"We know, boss. Maybe she'll listen?" Bickslow shrugged.

"I think she will. She seems pretty level-headed. And Wendy likes her already. That says something," Evergreen pointed out.

"We'll just have to wait and see."

After lunch, Iris retreated to her room, alone this time. She'd been overwhelmed, and it had taken her a while to realize it. She'd been alone for almost a month at her house with no human contact except when she'd went to the grocery story, and suddenly having a lot of people around was exhausting.

Iris laid on her bed, one arm resting on her chest, and the other out at her side. She sighed. She felt like an imposter, almost. She didn't belong here.

Then, someone started knocking on her door. Iris sighed, but hauled herself out of bed.

"Hello?" she asked as she opened the door. She narrowed her eyes when she opened the door.

"Um. Hi. Could I talk to you for a second?" it was Lisanna, Mirajane's little sister.

"Sure. Come in?" Iris said blankly, stepping out of her way.

"Thank you. I just wanted to say I'm really sorry about how my sister acted yesterday, and thank you for putting her in her place," Lisanna said softly, smiling a bit to her. Iris was confused. She'd hurt Lisanna's sister. Apparently, her face showed her confusion, because Lisanna continued.

"My sister hasn't ever really been stood up to here. Most of the new students crack and tell her everything right away because they are afraid of messing up. They don't know how this school works yet. Many of them end up leaving a few weeks after arriving because they can't stand the torment they get. You're different, though. Mira hasn't been the same since last night. She still gives everyone nasty looks, but she's been quiet. So, thank you. I feel like I have my sister back, at least a piece of her that I lost," Lisanna explained.

"I didn't do anything, though," Iris mumbled. Lisanna shook her head.

"You did everything, Iris. Something about you is special. Yes, every new student we get has everyone excited, but they generally isolate themselves because my sister attacks them on their first day. You have people talking about you for not being a pushover. You've already gotten Natsu, Gray, Levy, Lucy, Erza, Gajeel, Cana, and Wendy to like you. Well, Natsu, Lucy, and Levy don't really count because they like everyone at first. But for Gray, Gajeel, Cana, and Erza… This is a big deal to them. The other groups are also talking about you. Laxus's group is intrigued by you. Be careful around them, though, but don't let me deter you from listening to them and giving them a chance. Given how you've started here, you might be able to change them for the better," Lisanna insisted. Iris didn't know what to say, so Lisanna continued again.

"As for Mira, she changed several years ago, after I got sick. I had leukemia, and our parents had trouble paying for my treatment. We were poor, so we stopped having nice things. Kids started teasing us for being poor, and me for being bald. Children are cruel, so Mirajane changed to become cruel to match. She started beating kids up that would talk bad about me, about our family. Unfortunately, right after I finished treatment, our parents were killed in a car accident. That was three years ago. Now, we arrived almost three years ago. So, you can imagine what happened. Someone at our old school had pushed me into a locker, and Mirajane had had enough. That student went into a coma and no longer can walk because of brain damage.

"Since then, she's kept the cruel mask up, partly because it's her crutch. It makes her feel like she's in control, when she can't control anything around her. Being here scares her. I beg you to give her a chance. Underneath her mask, she's a very kind person. She's just afraid to show it. She'll be over here to apologize later tonight, just so you know. But thank you, Iris, for what you've done for me, and for my family," Lisanna finished, a bit teary eyed. Iris still didn't know what to say, but she knew Lisanna was probably needing a hug, so she sucked up her cold show and hugged the girl gently.

"I'm sorry," Iris settled on. She meant it about Lisanna's illness and losing her parents. Losing her sister. Everything she had gone through. Lisanna hugged Iris back.

"Life is life, Iris. No one here has had an easy one. I'm happy to be where I am today. Our experiences make us who we are. We can either lay down and let life run us over, or we can stand and fight," Lisanna told her sagely. Then, the two broke apart, and Lisanna made her way back to the door.

"Anyway, thanks for listening to me, Iris. I hope we can be friends," Lisanna smiled. Iris nodded.

"Me too, Lisanna," Iris replied, sending a small smile to her.

Iris went back to her piano and thought about Lisanna had told her and started to play. She didn't notice that her door was still open when she started the song she had picked: Jealous by Labrinth.

Her song echoed down the hall, drawing a curious Evergreen over. She sent a quick text to her friends to come by and hear her singing. Less than 30 seconds later, the group was assembled.

"Hot damn," Bickslow whispered. He didn't want to alert her to their presence. Laxus was silent, just listening to her singing. He was singing along in his head. Her voice was the perfect completement to his, in his mind at least.

"I knew from what Cana posted that she was good, but this is something else. Shall we ask her to join the band?" Freed asked quietly. Laxus nodded, still focusing mostly in Iris's song.

"Guys, it'll be creepy if you just walk in there. I live on the other side, so I can knock. You three just go hide yourselves in my room and I'll bring her over," Evergreen whispered and shoved the boys away.

"Fine, fine. Just get her over there," Laxus mumbled and made his way back to Evergreen's room. She didn't lock it hardly ever.

Iris finished her song and heard a knock on her… open… door. She felt a bit embarrassed.

"Hi Iris, we haven't met yet. I'm Evergreen. I live in the next room over," Evergreen introduced herself.

"Hi. I'm sorry, I wasn't too loud, was I?" Iris asked with an embarrassed smile sneaking its way onto her face. Evergreen smiled and shook her head.

"Not at all! I think you were amazing. I was in the hallway just passing by. Would you like to come over to my room? My friends are over there, and we were about to practice. We call ourselves the Thunder Legion," Evergreen offered. Iris shrugged. She might as well go, if not just to make a good impression. Everyone told her to stay away, but she didn't know why. Evergreen didn't seem so bad.

"Sure," Iris said, standing up and grabbing her keys. She made sure to close her door behind her and she followed Evergreen the short distance to the brunette's room.

"Look who I got," Evergreen grinned as she entered her room. Iris looked around and saw three males she knew to be Laxus, Freed, and Bickslow, as well as several guitars, a drum set, and a piano.

"Hey newbie. I'm Bickslow," Bickslow introduced himself, smiling at her.

"Laxus."

"Freed." Evergreen rolled her eyes.

"That's the best you can do, huh? Just your name? Geez. Anyway, these are the guys. Guys, this is Iris," Evergreen introduced while teasing her friends.

"Hi," Iris waved awkwardly.

"We hear you're into music," Freed said. Iris nodded.

"Been playing piano since I was three, guitar since I was six, and picked up drums a few years ago. Sang my whole life," Iris shrugged. The guys stared at her in amazement.

"Well no shit. Want to play with us?" Laxus asked her. She shrugged again.

"Depends on what it is. I don't know everything, but I know quite a bit. Or if you have the sheet music, I can sight read it. What do you want to play?" Iris asked.

"We were rehearsing for a cover of Misery Business, but my voice isn't really… I'm not a great vocalist," Evergreen sighed. Iris blinked.

"Sure. Want me just singing then?" Iris asked. The group nodded.

"Everyone ready?" Freed asked. The group nodded together, and off they went. After they finished the song, they were very happy with the result.

"Well, I thought you had a voice, but you really have a voice," Evergreen commented after they were done with the song. Iris scratched the back of her head, embarrassed.

"I'm not that good," Iris sighed.

"No, Iris, you actually are. You are really good," Laxus insisted. The members of the Thunder Legion were smirking internally.

"If you say so," Iris said. He nodded.

"Anyway, it's almost time for dinner. I'm sure your friends will be looking for you. You should sign up for the music electives," Freed told her. She nodded.

"I was thinking about it. I'll make sure to. Thanks for letting me join in," Iris said. She didn't get why everyone thought they were so bad. If anything, they were kindred spirits to her. They enjoyed the same music, and they were all musicians. Iris left the room and went back to hers.

"So, boss, she's got your eye?" Bickslow teased, wiggling his eyebrows. Laxus crossed his arms and grumbled.

"Shut up, Bix," Laxus said. Bickslow and Evergreen laughed at his expense.

"Oh, come on. She's great. I think she'll be great if we can get her to keep coming by," Evergreen smiled.

"Yeah. She's what we needed," Freed nodded.

"Let's just hope she's willing to listen. I think Levy was out in the hallway," Laxus sighed.

"She will, boss. Just have faith in her."

"What were you doing in Evergreen's room?" Levy asked her worriedly.

"She overheard me playing and invited me over. Then I sang with the band," Iris said. "I really don't get why everyone hates them."

"Just… Come to my room, please. I'll explain," Levy said, pushing Iris into her room, then closing the door behind the two of them.

"Look. Laxus isn't a good guy to get close to. He's not great to anyone, especially his girlfriends. He likes you, Iris. You need to be careful. I don't want you to end in the same situation as Elena," Levy said. Iris narrowed her eyes.

"Why? What happened? Everyone's been eluding to this situation that I know nothing about," Iris asked, her tone hard.

"I'll tell you what I know from what Elena told me before she left. She and Laxus had been together for several months. Honestly, we were amazed. He was a different person. Then that day happened. It was about six months ago. We were off for the summer, and it was Cana's birthday, so we had a party. We have no idea where the alcohol came from, but there was a lot of it. With all the security at this school I'd swear that they wouldn't allow booze around here," Levy started to ramble. She seemed to catch herself and got back to her story.

"Anyway. It was Cana's birthday. Everyone was getting drunk. Elena was looking for Laxus because she couldn't find him in Cana's room where the party was, so she went back up to his room. Much to her surprise, and everyone else's, he was in bed with another ex-student named Juvia, who was Gray's girlfriend. They were asleep, but it was enough. That's that, really. Elena was heartbroken, as was Gray. Gray confronted Juvia the next day and she was stunned, apparently, and she high tailed it out of Fairy Tail as fast as she could. Same day. Elena, though. Elena was a complete wreck. Laxus had the audacity to lie to her about it, and she couldn't handle it. She fell apart.

"She shut herself in her room and didn't come out for days. Headmaster ended up getting her to come out by telling her she had a ride set up to another school that would take her that day. We never heard from her again after that. Laxus hasn't been the same, but it's his fault. He's cruel to people when he wants to be. He's also been breaking school rules a lot more often. Thankfully, though, he can't get drugs into this school. It would be worse. I can't believe he's the headmaster's grandson, though. He's nothing at all like him," Levy finished. Iris didn't say anything, just taking in the information. She wanted to believe the story, but she also wanted to get the other side of the story. She'd ask him that night.

"It's time to head for dinner, Levy," Iris said. Levy sighed, and the two made their way to the dining hall.

Dinner wasn't as lively as before, at least for Iris. She was deep in thought, while everyone else at her table was talking and laughing. No one really seemed to notice that she was quiet. Eventually, they all filtered out of the dining hall off to watch a movie in Lucy's room, who had it set up perfect for movies. She was left alone with just a few other students left. One of them being Laxus.

"Dining hall is gunna close in a few minutes," Laxus said quietly from behind Iris. She sighed.

"Ah, damn. Didn't realize it was that late already," she muttered. She turned to face him with a blank face. Laxus sighed.

"They probably told you what they knew. Come on, I'll tell you my side," Laxus mumbled. Iris followed Laxus back to Fairy Hills and to his room. He had more band equipment and several leather couches. She took a seat on one and Laxus sat across from her.

"So," Laxus sighed.

"So," Iris echoed.

"Not everything they say about me is wrong. I'm a piece of shit, that much is true. I got kicked out of school for being the local crack dealer. Not exactly what I had in mind for life, but it was the best thing I had at the time. And I got caught. So, I ended up here a few years back.

"I was basically a shit to everyone who came through here until Elena set me right. She wasn't anything like anyone else here. She didn't belong here. The only reason she was expelled was because someone who looked like her decided to plant a bomb in the auditorium of her high school. She couldn't get an alibi, so she ended up here.

"She was too nice. Almost perfect. She didn't have a shitty home life, or past trauma like everyone else here before she came here. Unfortunately, now she probably does have some of that, but she'll be fine. Eventually.

"Now, on to Cana's birthday. I have no idea how the hell Juvia even got into my room. Well, I leave the door unlocked so Bix, Freed, and Ever can get in when they need to, and at the time Elena too. Next to my room is Gray's room, where Juvia meant to be heading. She was absolutely trashed and went into the wrong room. That fucked up everyone's lives. If I'd just locked the damn door, everything would have been fine," Laxus finished. "I didn't do anything wrong for once, and it's the single worst thing that's happened to me in the past five years."

Iris listened to his story, and it made a lot more sense. She knew Gray's room was next door, and she knew what people were like when they were drunk. They ended up in the wrong places all the time.

"I believe you. And I'm sorry. That's really shitty, honestly," Iris said quietly. Laxus seemed shocked that she believed him.

"Just like that? No arguments? No fight?" he asked dumbfounded. Iris nodded.

"Look. There are cameras in the hallway. If you want everyone to believe you otherwise, just get the damn footage. They won't care that you are all hammered," Iris pointed out. Laxus groaned.

"I forgot about the fucking cameras," he said, putting his face in his hands. "The whole fucking thing would have been fine if I'd just fucking remembered the cameras."

"What's done is done, Laxus. But you can still change everyone's perception of you. Don't be a dick to everyone. I don't think that's who you are. After all, you aren't like that to me. Whether that's real or not, I will give you a chance. Don't make me regret it," Iris threatened. Laxus nodded, picking his head up to look at her. She was one of those who'd had a rough life, just like him. She was looking at his scar, and he noticed, and covered it up with one of his hands.

"Sorry," she mumbled, and looked away.

"No, don't be. I'll tell you since I'm apparently spending tonight spilling my life's story," Laxus said, getting her to look at him again.

"You don't have to. You've already told me a lot for someone you don't know at all," Iris told him. He shook his head.

"Nah. You're part of the band now. I told the other three the story, but no one else knows. Not even Gramps. Besides, you won't go blabbing. You aren't the type," Laxus said shaking his head. "Anyway. I got this when I was a kid. My old man came back from the bar drunk. My mother had died a few years earlier, and she used to take the brunt of the damage from his drunk rages, but it was just me after that. This time, though, it was different. He usually just smacked me around a bit, then fell asleep, but that night he was on something. I have no idea what it was.

"He was hell bent on leaving me with some serious damage that night. He went after me and I ran. He ended up breaking a window, and he grabbed one of the glass shards. He caught me eventually, then held me down and did this," Laxus finished, pointing to the lightning bolt shaped scar over his eye. Iris nodded silently at the end of his story and looked down at her hands.

"You understand, don't you?" Laxus assumed. Iris sighed and nodded but didn't say anything.

"It's okay if you aren't ready to share. Just know that I'm not the only one who understands here, either," Laxus told her.

"Thanks," Iris murmured.

"Now, I'll walk you back to your room. You look tired," Laxus said. Iris gave him a look.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to tell a woman she looks tired?" she asked drily. Laxus chuckled.

"Come on, Ris."

**So, there's chapter 2! Hope you enjoyed.**


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